The Colletotrichum genus presents large genetic variability, as demonstrated by the occurrence of several pathogenic races and phenotypic traits. The objective of this study was to characterize 22 strains of C. lindemuthianum and Colletotrichum spp recovered from anthracnose lesions and bean scab, and to verify the relationship between species of the Colletotrichum genus, which inhabit anthracnose and scab lesions.
Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is the causal agent of plant bean anthracnose, one of the most important diseases affecting the common bean. We investigated the structure and expression of the nit1 gene (nitrate reductase) of C. lindemuthianum. The nit1 gene open reading frame contains 2787 bp, interrupted by a single 69-bp intron. The predicted protein has 905 amino acids; it shows high identity with the nitrate reductase of C. higginsianum (79%) and C. graminicola (73%). Expression of nit1 in C.
The heterokaryotic and vegetative diploid phases of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum are described using nutritional and biochemical markers. Nitrate non-utilizing mutants (nit), derived from R2047, R89, R73, R65, and R23 isolates, were paired in all possible combinations to obtain heterokaryons. Although pairings R2047/R89, R2047/R73, R65/R73, and R73/R23 showed complete vegetative incompatibility, prototrophic heterokaryons were obtained from pairings R2047/R65, R2047/R23, R65/R89, R65/R23, R73/R89, R89/R23, R2047/R2047, R65/R65, R89/R89, R73/R73, and R23/R23.
We examined the capacity of strains of Glomerella cin-gulata f. sp phaseoli fungus (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum sexual stage) to form recombinants, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Crosses of all possible combinations between strains 40, 42, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 were made on Petri dishes using M3 culture medium. The 42 x 21 cross produced the largest number of perithecia and five asci; the respective ascospores were isolated. RAPD analysis was performed on the parents and descendants.
